The Best New Gear Seen in Park City

Jun 30, 2011

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Top Gear for 2012

Press Camp is a three-year old event used by more than 25 brands to show off next year’s bikes, components and accessories to the cycling media. Unlike a typical tradeshow, it offers a relaxed atmosphere and lots of riding. But with so many brands on time, our test time on each product was relatively short. So instead of full-blown reviews, here’s an overview of some of the most exciting new products on display.

For years, enterprising riders had a name for homemade tubeless conversions that involved stretching a filleted 20-inch tube over a rim: Ghetto Tubeless. Now Hutchinson offers it’s own pre-packaged version. The company claims that its Convert’Air system works on any 26-inch wheel with an internal width between 17 and 24 millimeters (a 29er version is also in the works). The kit sells for $25 and includes two strips, valve stems with removable cores and a bottle of sealant. Compared to other tubeless conversions, that's a great deal. www.hutchinsontires.com

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Camelbak Agent

The $140 Agent replaces the Don as the largest model in Camelbak's line of freeride hydration packs. Among its many features are armor straps, an overflow pocket large enough to hold an XC helmet, a smartphone-sized pouch on the shoulder strap and Camelbak's vented NVIS back panel. The main pocket opens like a clamshell for easy access, and the pack also has two fleece-lined pockets—one for goggles or a camera and another for glasses. The Agent can carry up to 11 liters of gear and it comes with a 100oz reservoir and color-coded tube insulator. The pack is available in yellow, purple or charcoal. www.camelbak.com

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Niner Jet 9 RDO

The Niner Jet 9 RDO (Race Day Only) is more than just a carbon version of the popular Jet 9. Changes include a 20mm bump in rear travel to 100mm, internally routed cables, a direct-mount front derailleur, post-mount rear disc tabs and a PressFit 30 bottom bracket shell. Niner claims the new RDO frame is stiffer than the aluminum version and weighs 1.5 pounds less. (With shock, paint and hardware the new version weighs between 5 and 5.3 pounds.) The $2,600 RDO frame comes in four sizes (S, M, L, XL) and is backed by a five-year warranty. www.ninerbikes.com

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GT Zaskar 100 Hans Rey

Why It’s Cool: It comes with the same parts Hans Rey rides on his personal bikes

Demand for short-travel bikes with 26-inch wheels is shrinking now that 29ers and 27.5-inch models are surging in popularity. But GT hopes to win over some 26-inch stalwarts with this limited-edition number. The Zaskar 100 Hans Rey is built around a carbon frame with 100mm of rear-wheel travel. But GT adorned it with the same top-shelf parts Hans uses: A full Shimano XT drivetrain, Crankbrothers Kronolog dropper post and Cobalt 2 wheels. They even slip on some Ergon grips. At $6,100 the bike ain’t cheap. But it’s a high-performance model with a custom paint job that is worthy of one of the world’s most demanding riders.

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Lazer Armor

The Lazer Armor is a $70 skate-style lid that is constructed like a lightweight road helmet. Instead of a thick plastic shell glued to foam, the Armor uses in-mold construction—a thin polycarbonate skin is mated to foam in the molding process. The helmet weighs 280 grams: that's 30 grams lighter than a $235 Giro Ionos. With 16 vents and interior channeling, the Armor offers more ventilation than the average brain bucket, too. To save weight, the helmet forgoes a fancy retention system and instead riders use replaceable pads of varying thickness to tailor the fit. A special Support Japan edition costs an extra 10 bucks and all profits go to the International Red Cross. www.lazersport.com

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Fox Low-Friction Seals

Fox has declared an all-out war on friction. Most model-year 2012 forks now use new wiper seals that dramatically reduce friction, says Fox. The company isn’t saying how much, but one source says it's a healthy double digit-number without any effect on the wiper's ability to keep the bad stuff out. The new seals come stock on high-end OEM Factory-level forks and all 2012 aftermarket forks. Don’t have a new Fox fork? Don’t worry. The company just announced they're offering the seals as an aftermarket upgrade that will fit any existing 32 ($25), 34 ($30), 36 ($30) and 40 ($35) fork. www.foxracingshox.com

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Cannondale Ryker

Cannondale's jumping into the helmet market with a tidy four-model line. The first mountain offering is the 265-gram Ryker. Cannondale claims the $85 model has "best in class" ventilation courtesy of multiple large vents. The helmet features an internal "roll cage" and external aluminum reinforcements to help maintain the helmet's integrity in an impact. Cannondale uses a dial-based fit system and the occipital pad is made from the same material as Crocs. The Ryker comes in two sizes (small/medium and large/extra large) five colors and one women's model. www.cannondale.com

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Acros .74

Acros is getting a lot of attention for putting Christoph Muthers' Red 5 hydraulic shifters and derailleurs into production under the Acros A-GE moniker. But the company has several other new products, including these wheels that use the brand’s well-regarded hubs (every hub part, right down to the bearings, is manufactured in the company’s German factory). The .74 wheel uses the Acros .74 hub and a tubeless-ready, 7000-series aluminum rim with an internal width of 21mm. The 29er version weighs 1,580 grams and sells for $800 (a 26-inch option is also available). But wait, there’s more. For an additional $50, the wheels come with a set of Continental Race King tires, two tubes and wheel bags. Considering the tires cost $48 each, it's a heck of a bargain. www.acros.de

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Sugoi Gustav Boa

We've seen Boa dials used in shoes, helmets and hydration packs, but Sugoi's new $135 Gustav is the first time we've seen the ratcheting laces used in shorts. A pair of Boa dials allow users to adjust waist size by up to three inches. The shorts come in black or white versions, and are constructed from lightweight fabric with stretch panels and five pockets. www.sugoi.com

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A-Class VXD5

The VXD5 from Alex Wheels’ A-Class line takes an interesting path to tubeless compatibility. The spoke nipples load through holes in the rim's sidewall and use plugs keep excess water and dirt out while leaving the inner rim wall undrilled. The advantage to this design is that it doesn’t require any proprietary nipples or inserts. The wheelset weighs 1,870 grams and is built with DT-Swiss spokes. Alex has yet to set a retail price in the United States. www.aclass-wheels.com

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CarboCage

The CarboCage is 86 grams of carbon-chainguide bliss. Acros doesn't make the guide (it's manufactured by some fellow Germans), but they enhance it with a velvety nylon pulley. The guide comes in six bolt colors and it’s compatible with 34- to 38-tooth rings. It fits both ISCG "old" and ISCG '05 mounts. There are also shift guide and bash-guard versions in the works. www.carbocage.com; www.acros.com

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Cateye Sumo

Cateye hopes its new Sumo line will become as popular as the company’s venerable Stadium lights. There are two models: the Sumo 3, with three LED emitters and a 9200mAh Li-Ion battery (eight-hour charge time); and the Sumo 2, with two LED emitters and a 4600mAh battery (four-hour charge time). Both feature four modes. They're powerful—though a bit heavy—because, Cateye claims, they're built to be tough and reliable. The $450 Sumo 2 puts out a maximum of 1,000 lumens while the $550 Sumo 3 delivers a max of 2,100 lumens. www.cateye.com

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Enve DH bar

Wide bars rule and Enve now offers this 800mm (31.5-inch) beatstick for your amusement. Enve says it's strong enough for downhill racing but at just 225 grams, it’s light enough for all-mountain or trail duty. The $180 bars have a 23mm rise, 9-degree sweep and come with a two-year warranty. www.envecomposites

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Tifosi Jet

For the price, Tifosi eyewear offers impressive frame construction and lens quality. The Jet is a lightweight (26 grams) fixed-lens model with a grippy nose pad and temples. It's offered in seven frame and lens color combinations. And here's where Tifosi kills it: Retail price is just $40 with a basic lens or $70 with a polarized Fototec lens that changes tint based on ambient light. www.tifosioptics.com

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